Español Solo (2)

We had noble intentions, but we came up with some really good excuses not to have our Spanish only weekend. Two weekends ago we decided to postpone and instead invited our Finnish friend from language school to hang out with us for the weekend. It was a great time, but there was not much Spanish practice. Last weekend we had a team going-away party for a couple that is heading back to the US for a year. Once again, lots of English practice, not much Spanish.

So this weekend it is time for our Spanish only weekend. And this time there is no way to postpone it. The members of the church that we have been attending here invited us on a church retreat at a camp about two hours away. So Friday at six we will load up in the car and head out for a true Spanish only weekend, and we won't be returning until Sunday evening. Two of the members of the church speak English fluently, but they, along with everyone else, are only going to communicate with us in Spanish. I am sure that some of our conversations are going to look more like a game of charades than anything else, but we anticipate that this weekend will be a great opportunity to learn.

During the retreat we are going to be studying the book of Ephesians. I look forward to God using our time of study to show us something new in His Word as well. How amazing that it does not matter the language; God's Word transcends all cultural differences. God can do incredible things.

update!

hello everyone,

my mother in law reported to me that she had some friends who she knew were praying for us last weekend and we are so thankful! We did, however, have to put off our weekend for another week:( We have a friend from Finland who lives here- she is 20 and completely alone. So, when she heard we were going to the beach last weekend ( as we always do) she asked to come along and we were so happy to have her with us, but we didn't want to force our weekend crazy on her. I am sad that we didn't get to have our spanish weekend, BUT I had a great time talking with Rebecca and it was an opportunity to sow some seeds so we took it. We are so grateful that people care about us and what we are doing and that they take the time to lift us up. Your prayers for last weekend were not wasted! We are just getting one more week of school in and we will try again. 

Thanks so much for your support!

KB

Espanol solo!

Ian and I are going to have a "Spanish Only" weekend. We are about 8 weeks into our language training and we have a lot of information and a good vocabulary we just need practice...in a safe environment:) So, we have decided that this Saturday and Sunday until after church we will only speak to each other in Spanish. It has the potential to be a very quiet day! Just kidding.... 

We are going to need to use some English with the children but we are going to spring this on them too and see how they handle it when we only respond in Spanish.  I have mixed feelings about this but I think that it will be super helpful in the long run. Keep us in your thoughts over the next few days as we try to beef up our vocab and get mentally prepared. Especially lift us up over the weekend. Our ability to speak and communicate effectively is the biggest thing we need to be able to start really meeting people and building relationships.

Hasta Luego!

Hi everyone,

Nothing big to report-just checking in! Ian and I are still plugging away at Language school. I think we are making good progress, but I am looking forward to being able to actually say something. I am working with our Nanny, Barbara, on speaking and she is a great helper. She wants to practice her English so it is a good trade. We are still going to the beach a few times a week...or 3 or 4 times:) We just love it and the children LOVE playing in the sand. We hear lots of Spanish and are beginning to understand more and more.

The girls are still doing great. Bianca is going to be taking swimming lessons in July and we are joining the club where she will be taking. That will be a good opportunity to meet people and for the children to have others to play with. Today I think we are going to the Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art. It should be interesting. I will be sure to post pics on my next extry. 

Thanks for your love an support,

KB

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Earlier this week I was walking home from the grocery with my push cart and starting laughing to myself...this life is SO different from the one I left behind. I just started thinking about all of the ways things are different here. So here are some things I thought about:

1. We grocery shop every few days instead of once or twice a month. My meat and veggies are usually prepared just a day or so from when they were purchased. This is MUCH different than the way I used to do it- buying in bulk from Sams or sales at other stores and having a small grocery store in my deep freeze in the garage.

2. We walk or take public transportation everywhere. I think we go in the car only once or twice a week and generally it is on the weekend when we want to go to the beach. I think we walk an average of 4 miles a day between going to and from school and running errands.

3.  9 pm is the average bed time for children. I have always been a huge fan of the early bedtime. My girls went to bed at 630p until they were a little over 2. Kids here don't get out of school until 5 so that makes a 630 bedtime impossible.  The average dinner time is between 8-9. My girls go to bed early compared to some and they usually turn in between 8-830. 

4.  I bring my kids to bars. Yes,  those kinds of bars! It is completely normal to bring kids of all ages to bars. They are just like the ones you are thinking of, but it is just as normal to order coffee or hot chocolate as it is to order an alcoholic beverage. It is nothing to see a mom and dad enjoying a beer or a glass of wine and the kids having a hot chocolate or a coke.

5. We live in an apartment. Our apartment is about 1300 sq. feet and we live in a building with about 16 units. We take our trash to the community dumpster and share a playground with anyone who walks by and wants to play. There are no back yards therefore, no private play areas. 

There are pros and cons to everything listed. Most days I very much like living here. It would be nice, however, to send my kids out in the backyard and not have to worry about what I look like or if they have on matching socks. BUT, we are adjusting to most things alright and I think we are wired for this more relaxed schedule and for this kind of outdoor living. 

In other news...school is going fine. Some days are good and some are bad. I am going to be having a conversation time with my nanny ,Barbara, once a week so I will get to practice what I am learning and work on not sounding like an American speaking spanish words. Ian is hoping to get a nice bike ride in over the next few days and I am encouraging him to take a surfing refresher class so he can get out there and do that as well. There is a nice size surfing community at the beach we go to each weekend- I say why just sit here an watch when you can get out there and do it!

Well, we love you all and thanks for your support!

Katie

People, People Everywhere

We have been asked by many people about what it is like to be living in Spain. While there is no simple answer to that question, I have come across a few statistics that might give you an idea of how different our current community is in comparison to the last several communities we have lived in.

The last three cities we have lived in are Youngsville, LA; Sugar Hill, GA; and New Orleans, LA. Youngsville is a suburb of Lafayette, LA, and has a population density of approximately 597.3 people/square mile. Hence, we had a nice, big yard and a neighborhood surrounded by sugar cane fields. Sugar Hill is a suburb of Atlanta and has a population density of approximately 1239/sq mi. Before Sugar Hill, we were in New Orleans, which has about 2518/sq mi.

About two months ago we moved into an apartment in Portugalete, Spain. Portugalete is very small in terms of land area. It's total area is only 1.24 square miles, but the population is 51,066. That translates to a population density of 41,202.6/sq mi. Here there is high rise apartment building after high rise apartment building. There are people everywhere. For perspective, New York City, one of the most densely populated US cities, has a density of 27,147/sq mi, significantly less than what we have here.

Being around that many people is a lot different than living in the suburbs in the US. We have always thought of ourselves as city people, but we have not ever experienced anything like this. Living in an apartment rather than in a house with yard is different as well. Not better or worse, just different.

Nothing new to report

Hi friends,

Not much new going on. We are in the  beginning of our 4th week of language school. Ian's class has  made some changes so he is doing great and it looks like I will be joining them next week once Barbara (the sweet nanny) starts coming to be with the girls. I am really struggling with my study time and I am so grateful to have her be here so I can get some real study time in. Ian is doing great and really does a fine job communicating when necessary. I, on the other hand, seem to freeze up when I need to say something. I know all of the words, they just fall out of my brain when I need to use them. I am also hoping that having Barbara here will be helpful to me and my speaking. Just having someone here that I can try to talk to everyday. She speaks English but I would much rather her speak spanish to the girls and to me as much as possible. We will see...

anyway, not to much else going on. The weather is getting better. Still a little colder than I would like. We did reach 77 on Sunday but that was only for a few hours and it seems like since then it has gotten colder again. So we remain in the 60's for the most part. This southern girl is dying! I would at least like to see 80's. Anyway, we are doing well- I may be getting into my first little bit of culture shock, but I think I am keeping things in perspective and that will help get through it. Thanks again for your support.

Love you all,

KB